Thursday, September 23, 2010

Linguini with Pancetta and Parmesan



My friend Maria put this recipe on Facebook earlier this week. (I've tweaked it a little, but it's still basically the same recipe.) I was intrigued because I've seen capers in the grocery store, but have no clue what to do with them. So...I decided to try this recipe. Usually I don't even print up a recipe if I don't know what all the ingredients are because who wants to wonder around the commissary looking for an ingredient that you can't even pronounce. I got all the ingredients at the local commissary. (A commissary is military-ese for grocery store.)

3/4 package linguini
1 cup onion, chopped
a clove of garlic, pressed (or 1/2 teaspoon minced)
2/3 cup chopped pancetta (about 2 oz)*
1 (25.5-ounce) bottle of Muir Glen Organic Italian Herb pasta sauce**
1/4 c black olives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers (sold in a tall, skinny jar, usually located one or two shelves above the olives)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

*Pancetta is Italian bacon. I found it in the deli. The man working behind the counter told me it was cured and I didn't need to cook it, but I was suspicious. It looked raw to me. I googled it when I got home and it turns out that Pancetta is cured, like America bacon; however, like American Bacon it is RAW. It is sliced very thinly so it only needs to cook for a few minutes.

**(Actually any pasta sauce will probably work just fine, but this is what the recipe called for so that's what I used.)

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. I'm a PAM girl. Add onion, pancetta, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add pasta sauce; cook 5 minutes. Stir in olives and capers. Add pasta; toss well, and sprinkle with cheese.

This would probably be much better if I had remembered to buy a block of Parmesan, but we had to settle for the stuff in the green can.

1 comment:

  1. So glad you liked the recipe. ;) We did too. Very, very tasty...

    xoxo

    Maria

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